IB Chemistry HL exam-day guide
IB Chemistry HL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo ID
Bring the identification your school or exam centre requires for the session. The exact accepted ID types and any signature requirement are set by your coordinator, so confirm with the provider before exam day rather than assuming a passport or school card alone will do.
Exam timetable and seat/session details
Know the start time, room, and session order for your papers. IB Chemistry HL is assessed across multiple papers (typically a multiple-choice paper, a structured short-answer paper, and a data-analysis/option-style paper), and your coordinator sets the exact schedule. Confirm with the provider which papers you sit and when.
Approved calculator
Bring a calculator permitted under your centre's rules. Check the model against the current permitted-calculator list and confirm with the provider whether graphing or programmable models are allowed; clear memory and remove cases if instructed.
Spare pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener
Pack at least two black or blue pens, pencils for any multiple-choice answer sheet, an eraser, and a sharpener. Confirm with the provider whether answers must be in a particular ink colour and whether pencil is required for machine-read sheets.
Ruler and any permitted drawing equipment
A clear ruler is useful for graph axes and tables. Bring only equipment your centre permits; confirm with the provider whether any additional instruments are allowed for your papers.
Clear pencil case or pouch
Many centres require stationery to be carried in a transparent container and forbid pencil cases with writing on them. Confirm with the provider what container is acceptable.
No phones, smart watches, or notes
Leave phones, smart watches, and any unauthorised electronic devices outside the exam room or hand them in as directed. Possession in the room can be treated as malpractice even if unused, so confirm with the provider where devices must be stored.
Water in a clear, label-free bottle
If your centre allows drinks, use a transparent bottle with labels removed. Confirm with the provider whether drinks are permitted at the desk.
Review the IB Chemistry data booklet conventions
Familiarise yourself with the constants, equations, and periodic-table data you will be given so you do not waste time hunting for them. Confirm with the provider which reference materials are supplied and which must be memorised.
Sleep and transport plan
Plan your route and arrival time so you are at the centre with margin before the session starts. Arrive early; late arrival rules are set by the centre, so confirm with the provider what happens if you are delayed.
Know the timing of each paper
Note the duration and mark allocation of each paper you sit so you can pace yourself. Confirm with the provider the exact durations, as these are set by the current syllabus and session.
Medical or access arrangements
If you have approved access arrangements (extra time, separate room, rest breaks), confirm with the provider in advance that they are in place and what documentation to bring.
Plan the day
Switch from learning new content to consolidating. Rework the syllabus topics you find weakest, focusing on calculation types (stoichiometry, titration, enthalpy, equilibrium, pH, electrochemistry, kinetics) and on the command terms used in questions. Practise under timed conditions using past-paper-style questions and mark them against the mark scheme to see where you lose method marks.
Rehearse the data booklet: locate equations and constants quickly, and practise unit conversions and significant-figure conventions. Confirm with the provider which reference materials you will be given in the exam.
Build a one-page summary of formulas, definitions, and common pitfalls (sign conventions in enthalpy and electrochemistry, state symbols, equilibrium expression forms, organic functional-group tests). Test yourself by covering the sheet and reproducing it from memory.
Do a light review only: skim your summary sheet and a few worked examples. Pack your bag with ID, stationery, calculator, and any permitted items, and check the timetable and travel plan. Avoid cramming new material late in the day.
Get a full night's sleep and eat normally. Confirm with the provider any last-minute room or timing changes, and set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive at the centre with time to spare, and keep conversation light rather than comparing answers or last-minute facts with others. Hand in or store devices as directed before entering the room.
Read the instructions and check the number of pages and questions. Skim the paper first, then answer in order of confidence. Show working for calculation questions because method marks are often awarded even when the final value is wrong, and keep units and significant figures consistent.
Watch the clock and allocate time by mark value. If a question stalls you, leave space, mark it, and return later. For multiple-choice items, eliminate clearly wrong options and answer every item if there is no penalty for guessing. Use the final minutes to check that you have attempted all questions and transferred answers correctly.
Rules to check
Bring and present the identification required by your centre; the accepted forms and any signature or photo requirements are set by the provider, so confirm with the provider in advance.
Do not bring unauthorised materials or devices into the exam room. Phones, smart watches, and notes must be left outside or handed in as directed; possession in the room can be treated as malpractice.
Follow the centre's rules on leaving the room and on supervised rest breaks. If you need to leave during a paper, you are normally supervised, and whether extra time is granted is set by the provider, so confirm with the provider.
Use only an approved calculator and permitted equipment. Check the current permitted-calculator list and confirm with the provider whether programmable or graphing models are allowed.
Write answers legibly in the required ink or pencil as instructed, and show working for calculations. Method marks are commonly awarded, so an unsupported final answer can lose credit.
Communicate only with invigilators during the exam. Any communication with other candidates, or any attempt to access unauthorised information, is malpractice and can lead to disqualification.
Scoring follows the published mark scheme for each paper, with marks aggregated according to the current syllabus weightings. Confirm with the provider the exact paper structure, weightings, and grade boundaries, as these are set externally and can change between sessions.
If you believe there was a disturbance or an error in the paper, report it to the invigilator at the time and follow your coordinator's procedure. Confirm with the provider how special-consideration requests are submitted and by what deadline.